The Civic Trust for WalesThe Civic Trust for Wales promotes civic pride as a means to improving the quality of life for all in the places where we live and work, and encourages community action, good design, sustainable development and respect for the built environment amongst people of all ages.

Yearly Archives: 2014

Ian Nairn died in 1983, but for twenty years he was a blunt critic of the tawdriness of post-war development in British towns and cities. He criticised the emergence of ‘subtopia’ — the blurring of town and country, and the way towns were coming to seem drearily alike.

Allegations have been made this week in Private Eye that the core of Cardiff’s historic Coal Exchange could be demolished without listed building consent being sought. The grade II* listed Cardiff Coal Exchange sits in Mount Stuart Square, and is…

The Trust moved its offices to Penarth last summer. What a change from central Cardiff! Nowadays, Penarth is virtually a commuter suburb, but it retains a very distinctive sense of place that was shaped in later Victorian and Edwardian times. It’s been fun — even in a miserably wet winter — exploring its streets and discovering some of the features that make this town special.

The RTPI is holding a conference on the above topics in Cardiff on March 25th. Chaired by Prof John Punter the afternoon session focuses on conservation and urban design practice. Contributors will be Steve Smith (Swansea), Claire Hamm (Bridgend), Niall…

The February edition of the Celebrating the Chartists newsletter leads with the Welsh Government’s call for Newport to ‘fully recognise and develop’ the Chartist contribution to British democracy and the response from the city’s Business Task Force to this approach to regeneration.…

PLANNING BILL The Welsh Government is consulting on its Planning Bill, which, amongst other initiatives, will reform the development plan system and promote greater joint working amongst planning authorities. ‘Place Plans’ are proposed to enable greater community engagement in local…

OPEN DOORS We are receiving enquiries about arrangements for Open Doors for 2014. We are currently discussing the organisation of the event with Cadw and will provide more information as soon as it is available.